﻿ Deep Democracy Institute - Our Credo + Our Logo

Deep Democracy Institute


Our logo is based on the West African Symbol Funtunfunefu - Denkyemfunefu. It stands for "Unity in Diversity", an old Adinkra concept of democracy. Can you see how the symbol represents Siamese Twin Crocodiles with the two heads in the upper and left corner, the belly in the center and the tails in the  lower and right corner?

The one? two? reptile(s) share a common belly yet their torsos and heads fight over food. Common wisdom considers this behavior “irrational" but we are excited that native wisdom reaches the same insights like we do in our understanding of Chaos theory and physics and conflict resolution.

This Adinkra symbol from Ghana is actually meant to encourage us to see one-sided interests (the heads) and holistic unity (the shared belly) as complimentary aspects of a larger whole giving rise to diversity. The adversarial process of the two heads highlights the shared unity of the stomach. An analogy of this relationship would be an oasis in the desert, where the beautiful stunning aridness of the desert is accentuated by relieving life-giving nature of water and vice versa.

In starting the Deep Democracy Institute, we were drawn to this symbol because it expresses a core belief of Deep Democracy. It shows that conflict, competition, and one-sidedness belong to all systems and yet on a deeper level form a greater whole and share common grounds. The two seemingly one-sided directions form a whole in terms of their superposition, symbolized by the common belly.

We see in this symbol the process of accepting the polarities of the fighting heads as part of nature, and their competition over food as the beginning awareness about their deeper relationship. Awareness-based leadership and facilitation that begin at the point of accepting this seemingly paradoxical and irrational behavior of organizations, groups and nations can eventually bring forth eldership, which can potentially bring out the underlying synergy, symbolized by the common stomach. This can be made visible without “correcting" or “scolding" groups for their lacking collaboration or absence of peace. Sustainable development and conflict resolution are byproducts of a deeper sense of coaching and leadership development. 

Look how the two waves that interfere with each other and seemingly clash but create a new pattern

Our Credo - Truth is beautiful

The final inspiration to use this symbol as our logo came from our sensual experience of its simple beauty. Take a look and notice how apparent irreconcilable differences and painful paradoxes are portrayed by the creative awareness of the artist as a symmetric and cohesive whole, leaving a stunning and intriguing image for us to enjoy. Groups that are polarized create a lot of pain for all members, yet carry in this polarization a symmetry within which is the seed of a growing awareness towards the greater whole.

Deep Democracy leadership is based on a consistent and rigorous perspective, theory and methodology that enables individuals, organizations and communities to find these symmetries and show the connection between the fragmented and the whole. The process of unfolding this connection brings cohesion, creativity, intimacy and new visions for the future. Deep Democracy Leadership integrates concepts from Quantum Mechanics, non-linear dynamics, psychology and anthropology in a single framework that allows facilitation of the entire spectrum of personal and collective transformation, eventually unveiling the awe-inspiring difficulty and beauty of all of us humans in our pursuits of happiness. 

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Discovering Innate Solutions